The 89th Texas legislative session is set to begin on Jan. 14, and one of the top issues lawmakers will seek to address is housing affordability.
Housing stock has not kept pace with the influx of new residents over the past several years, leading to inflated home values and climbing rents. High mortgage rates and rising building costs have also contributed to prospective buyers finding themselves priced out of in-demand markets across the state.
Big cities like Dallas and their surrounding suburbs have been some of the most affected, with the median closing price in D-FW coming in just shy of $400,000 in 2024, according to the latest Texas A&M University Texas Real Estate Research Center housing report. Rent has also skyrocketed, putting more pressure on lower-income residents who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads amid sticky inflation.
Texas Lawmakers Target Municipal Regulations
Elected officials in Austin considered a number of bills last session that would have loosened land-use restrictions to facilitate more building, but such legislation failed to pass…